After three years of working toward a digital standard for film distribution, Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC. (DCI) has agreed upon a uniform system of requirements for manufacturing digital theater equipment.

DCI, a joint venture between several major Hollywood movie studios, came together in 2002 to establish voluntary specifications for a digital cinema standard that would ensure high technical quality and performance, according to a recent press release .

Recent technological developments have introduced high resolution scanners, digital image compression, high speed data networking and storage and advanced digital projection into the world of "digital cinema." Although this technology enables digital playback and feature film display at a significantly higher level of quality (comparable to 35mm film), it lacked standards for quality and compatibility, according to the DCI System Specification v.1.0.

The DCI agreement sets that standard for the manufacturing and distribution of digital movie projectors and other theater equipment throughout the United States. Additionally, the specification is being translated for international markets, according to Walt Ordway, Chief Technology officer for DCI.

DCI said its' member studios and other industry leaders have praised the recent development, which will be applicable to 2K and 4K resolutions.

"This is an important milestone in the advancement of the theatrical motion picture," said Frank Pierson, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president. "In its first hundred years our art form made a forceful universal impression, at least partly because worldwide standards for projecting film were adopted early on. The next hundred years are likely to be similarly affected by DCI's work in defining how digital motion pictures will be presented to world audiences."

DCI said the new set of specifications will spur innovation, increase market competition and encourage capital investments in digital cinema technology.

"As the market gets more competitive, the price of the equipment and its installation  previously thought to be a major barrier to digital cinema  will become increasingly affordable, to the point where that stumbling block should no longer be of consequence," Ordway said in a recent statement.

The electronics industry is one of many that stand to benefit from this week's DCI agreement. Earlier this month, Sony Electronics, Inc. announced that they have already released two digital projectors that incorporate the new specifications and "fully support" DCI's efforts to shift toward a digital cinema environment.

Both 4K projectors (the SRX-R110 and SRX-R105) use Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) imaging technology to offer an unprecedented 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution and a high contrast ratio of >1800:1, according to a press release.

"A 4K projector has long been considered the holy grail of digital cinema," said John Scarcella, president of Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. "This is what the industry has been waiting for, and that desire will soon be satisfied."

Access Integrated Technologies, a market leader in theatrical distribution systems, also issued a statement regarding the final universal standards and the potential for capitalizing on such an agreement.

"The release of DCI's final Digital Cinema standards represents a landmark event for Hollywood. This revolutionary technology will radically change the delivery and exhibition of motion pictures and is the culmination of years of work. With these new standards, the studios, vendors and service providers can now proceed with Digital Cinema under universal standards for interoperability and security," said Bud Mayo, President and Chief Executive Officer of AccessIT. "We have fully supported the work of DCI since its inception and are committed to ensure that all our Digital Cinema solutions are fully-DCI compliant."

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